


Shifted

by LMXB



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-22
Updated: 2016-10-25
Packaged: 2018-08-24 00:15:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8348707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LMXB/pseuds/LMXB
Summary: An attack by a CADMUS operative appears to rip apart the core DEO family. Leaving some struggling to fight against their own demons whilst others cling to hope.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Supergirl or the characters.
> 
> This is set early in Season 2.

“Both of you, I want caution.” J’onn warned over the radio. “If this is CADMUS we have to be careful.”

“Always.” Alex said. 

“Relax boss, I won’t let anyone hurt her.” Kara said.  
“And you?” J’onn asked.

“I’ll be fine.” Kara said as she landed at the scene along side J’onn. “Looks harmless enough.”

“Looks can be deceiving.” J’onn reminded her.

“Very apt words from you.” A male voice said from the shadows. “A shapeshifting alien warning about deception, if you weren’t so dangerous I would laugh.”

“Who are you?” J’onn demanded.

“Humanity’s saviour.” The man said walking out of the shadows. “We will win as we have focus.” He added as J’onn noticed cameras hidden round the scene. 

“That’s right Director J’onzz.” The man said. “You two want to be on your best behaviour, else the American public, the global public will see you for the monsters that you are. Soon you will want to kill me, but if you do everyone will see the real you and we win.” 

“What do you want?” J’onn asked.

“Justice and salvation.” The man said. “Director J’onzz you have been found guilty of crimes against humans and you are sentenced to death.”

“Sentenced by who?” J’onn asked.

“CADMUS.” The man said before firing something from the device in his hand. As the beam made contact with J’onn the Martian disappeared.

“J’onn!” Kara shouted. 

As anger welled up inside of Kara she turned to the man and said. “What did you do?”

“Carried out his sentence.” The man said.

“Why would you kill him?” Kara asked in disbelief.

“He is an alien. He deserves to die. You all do.” He then smiled. “I can see the anger build in you. You want revenge. It really is win win for me. You want revenge, I want justice. How those ends come about is almost unimportant. But for you, would you like your last act to be standing there meekly, or an act of defiance, striking down the man who killed your friend?”

“I will not play your games.” Kara said. Her hands in tight fists by her side.

“Very well, Supergirl, you have been found guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced to death.” He smiled aiming the device at Kara.

“Put the device down.” Alex interrupted as she and several other Agents trained their guns on the man.

“Another traitor. We have plans for you.” He said still aiming the device at Supergirl.

“Put it down.” Alex repeated before shouting. “Supergirl go.” 

“Leave and the lovely Agent Danvers will be next.” The man warned causing Kara to hesitate. The hesitation was enough time for the man to trigger the device as Alex opened fire on him.

 

-00-

“What happened?” Kara asked trying to stop the ringing in her ears. Looking round she saw Alex staring at her. Her face pale and her expression one of shock.

“Alex?” She asked climbing to her feet. “Alex, what’s wrong?” She asked concerned when Alex didn’t respond. Walking towards her sister she couldn’t understand why Alex kept staring at the spot Kara had been. 

“Alex?” Kara called again, relieved when Alex stood and looked straight at her. Relief quickly turned to concern when Alex walked up to her then through her.

“What the?” Kara asked as she turned and tried to reach out to Alex, only to find her hand passing straight through her sister’s body. “Alex!” She called, but Alex just kept on walking. Getting more and more confused, Kara went and stood in front of one of the other Agents. But again, when the Agent moved they just walked straight through Kara. “That’s really freaky.” Kara called out to the Agent who remained oblivious. 

“You should try watching it.” J’onn said from a few feet away.

“J’onn? You’re alive? You can see me?” 

“I can.” He said as Kara approached him and poked him, sighing with relief when she felt his solid chest. 

“What the hell is going on?” Kara she asked.

“I don’t know. I remember being shot then this.” J’onn said. 

“It’s like we’ve been phase shifted.” 

“Phase shifted?” J’onn asked.

“Yeah, you know shifted from normal reality or dimension or time stream.” Kara explained.

“I know what a phase shift is, but doesn’t make sense.” J’onn said. “I don’t see how it could have happened or how we can see them but they can’t see us. Why don’t we sink through the ground? In fact why does gravity exist at all?” 

“Don’t know, but it works in Star Trek.” Kara pointed out. “Oh wait, what if we jumped back in time slightly? They can’t see us because you can’t see back in time.”

“You can’t see forward in time either.” J’onn pointed out.

“Minor issue.” Kara said frowning. 

“Wouldn’t explain why we can’t touch the rocks and buildings, but we can breathe and can walk on a ground.” J’onn added.

“Some people are so picky.” Kara grumbled as J’onn crouched down by the dead CADMUS operative. 

“Damn it.” He exclaimed.

“What?” Kara asked.

“If that device sent us here we could be in trouble.” 

Walking over to him Kara saw the device lying smouldering and in pieces. “Alex will figure it out.” 

\-- TBC...


	2. Chapter 2

“Ma’am.” Vasquez greeted as Lucy entered the DEO the following day late in the afternoon. 

“Vasquez.” Lucy nodded. “Has there been any further intel since you sent me the update two hours ago?”

“No ma’am.”

“Where’s Danvers?” 

“In her lab. She has refused to come out. She is adamant that Director Henshaw and Supergirl are still alive.” 

“You disagree?” Lucy asked.

“Nobody wants to.” Vasquez said. “But the evidence is ...” She continued, only to find she couldn’t finish the statement.

“Where’s Winn?” Lucy asked, expecting to see Kara’s friend leading the charge in finding a crazy explanation for what had happened.

“He said he had an idea then disappeared. That was several hours ago.”

“Okay, I’ll go see them both.” Lucy said, knowing she was about to have a fight on her hands.

Knowing Alex was the more pressing concern Lucy headed straight for her lab. When she arrived she knocked on the door and saw Alex turn round.

“Major Lane.” Alex said looking up from her computer. “You’ve been put in charge?”

“Temporarily.” Lucy said.

“I’m not stopping my search.” Alex said her voice full of defiance.

“No argument from me.” Lucy smiled.

“She’s my sister and J’onn is like a father and I’m not giving up.” Alex said before taking in what Lucy had said and instead asked. “What?” 

“Look, they may be dead, they may not be. But we leave no one behind. Even if that device did the worse to them, I want proof.” Lucy said trying to offer support without too much hope.

“Thank you.” Alex said gratefully.

“All I have been told was they were hit by an energy beam fired from a device and they vanished.” Lucy said.

“That pretty much sums it up.” Alex said. “CADMUS had set up plenty of cameras, hoping to see Supergirl kill the operative who fired the device. So from that we can conclusively say they disappeared.”

“The CADMUS operative said they had been sentenced to death?” Lucy probed trying to test how objective Alex was being.

“Yes, but last I checked we had never come across a death ray that causes instant disintegration without leaving any trace behind. We have used every sensor we have and there is literally no trace. I’m not even sure how a weapon like that could work.”

“So the alternative is it transported them somewhere?” Lucy asked.

“Yes.” 

“Ever come across a device like that?” 

“No.” Alex conceded.

“So either way we are looking at a complete unknown?”

“Yes. And I killed the person who could have told us what that device did.” Alex said bitterly. 

“You were trying to stop him.” Lucy reminded Alex before asking. “I’m guessing you have been searching since it happened?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Have you found anything yet?”

“No. But that’s because-”

“You’re tired, upset, haven’t slept for at least thirty-six hours and probably haven’t eaten over the same timeframe.” Lucy said cutting Alex off. “I am happy to throw everything we’ve got at this. What I am not happy to do is sacrifice any more Agents, including you. Winn is next door seeing if he can extract any information. We also have a whole team looking for an explanation as well CADMUS. So go home and get some rest. Come back fresh in the morning. Time off may give you the perspective you need to figure this out.” Lucy said. Seeing Alex was not moving she added. “That may not have sounded like an order, but I assure you it was.” 

-00-

Alex entered Kara’s apartment desperate to feel some type of connection to her sister. But as she stepped into the empty, silent space the realisation of what had happened finally hit and she slid down the door and burst into tears. 

What she didn’t know, couldn’t know, was that Kara was standing a few feet away watching her with a breaking heart. Kara desperately wanted to hug Alex to tell her she was okay, but no matter what she tried she couldn’t make a connection. Eventually Alex sat up straighter before pulling out her cell phone. Seeing it was her mother calling Alex hurled the phone into a wall and watched it break into a few pieces. 

Getting up Alex went to the kitchen and found a bottle of whiskey which she opened and took a swig of. Walking over the couch she paused momentarily as the apartment’s phone rang. Glancing at it she let it ring until the answer phone picked up and she heard her mother’s voice.

 

“Alex, if you’re there please pick up.” Eliza said. “Alex, please I need to speak to you. I saw the news. Please ring me.”

“Or not.” Alex said as Eliza hung up and Alex took another drink as she collapsed on the couch. Two minutes later the phone rang again. Once again it was her mother.

“Alex, we both know you are there. Please answer.” Eliza said before pausing. Eventually she added. “Alex, I need to know what happened. Are you okay? Please call me.” 

Taking another drink Alex shut her eyes and tried to regain some composure. If she was having any luck it ultimately failed when the phone rang again.

“Why can’t you leave me alone?” Alex shouted at the phone moments before her mother’s voice came on the answer phone.

“Alex, I’m worried about you, please ring me.”

“I don’t think so. I don’t need any lectures tonight.” Alex said, her voice beginning to slur. “Need more whiskey though.” She added downing an eighth of the bottle. 

As Alex started to loose the battle with her emotions again she stood and stumbled across the apartment and picked up the photo of Kara and her that had been taken during Kara’s first summer with them.

Running a finger over the picture Alex said. “I’m so sorry.” She then dropped down to the floor again, cradling the picture, as she cried.

She was so consumed by her own anger, sadness and guilt she didn’t even register the phone ringing again and never heard her mother say.

“Alexandra Danvers if you do not answer this phone I am coming down there.”

“Come on Alex.” Kara pleaded as she stood over Alex. “You can do this. Don’t give up on us.”

“Kara. I thought I’d find you here.” J’onn said stepping through Kara’s apartment door.

“I needed to see Alex.” Kara said sadly.

“How is she?” J’onn asked. Although he didn’t need to. He could clearly see how distraught Alex was.

“She’s broken. I’ve never seen her so defeated.” 

“You’re scared she won’t figure this out?”

“No, I’m scared she’ll figure this out after it is too late and she’ll blame herself.” Kara said as she started to pace. “There must be a way to help her.”

“If there is we won’t figure it out here. We should go.” J’onn said knowing that watching Alex break down wasn’t going to help them whilst also feeling guilty for invading Alex’s privacy.

 

-00-

“Winn, you should go home and get some rest.” Lucy said when she saw him in the lab.

“That’s a bad idea.” Winn said. 

“Why?”

“I have a form of OCD. When I come across a puzzle I have to finish it or it drives me crazy. Crazy and my family doesn’t mix well. I mean seriously does not mix well. My point is though even if I went now I wouldn’t sleep or rest as I would just be spending the evening thinking about the puzzle. But I wouldn’t be able to complete it as it would be here and I wouldn’t be. And that would drive me crazy and I’m not saying insane crazy, but I so can’t rule that out.” 

“Winn, how much coffee have you had?” Lucy asked concerned.

“I don’t know, five or six cups and a couple of bags of red vines.”

“Today?” 

“Definitely all today.” Winn agreed.

“Over what time period?” Lucy pressed.

“Two hours, give or take.” Winn said as he kept working. “As soon as I have finished this I’ll rest.” 

“You have six hours before Hamilton sedates you.” Lucy said.

“Just make sure Alex is ready.”

“Why?” 

“Um, because she can figure out what this puzzle actually does.” Winn said. 

“When she comes back in she can figure it out.” 

“Come back in? Where is she?” Winn asked as he stopped what he was doing and looked at Lucy.

“I sent her home.”

“Alone?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh, that is bad. Very bad.”

“Why?”

“I can’t tell you. Well, obviously I can, but I shouldn’t. I was told in secret. But her alone right now, very bad.”

“Winn. Neither have time for this. If there is a problem I need to know.” Lucy said.

“She and Kara are close.” Winn said.

“I know.” 

“Really close. Right now she’ll be blaming herself for what happened and getting drunk, very drunk. And Alex can hold her liquor, up to a point, but she’ll go way beyond that point and then she does really stupid things. She really shouldn’t be alone.”

“Her apartment is a couple of blocks away I’ll bring her back in.” Lucy said. 

“She won’t be there.” Winn said. “If she isn’t already roaming the streets she’ll be at Kara’s.” 

“I’ll find her.” Lucy said. “But Winn, no more coffee and no more sugar.” 

-00-

 

“Where have you been?” Kara asked as J’onn entered the lab at the DEO.

“Lord Industries and L-Corp.” 

“Why?”

“Seemed like as good a time as any to see what they are up to.” J’onn shrugged.

“And?”

“Plenty of time to discuss that after we have got out off this mess.” He said before noting how pale Kara was looking. “How’s your hunger?”

“I’m starving.” Kara confessed. “I mean more than normal.” 

“You need to conserve your energy.” J’onn warned. “No using powers. Try to sit in the sun.” 

“Then I can’t see what’s happening.” She complained.

“And what is happening?”

“Winn has reconstructed the device that sent us here.” Kara said. “Lucy has gone to look after Alex.”

“That’s good.” J’onn said. “How are you doing?” 

“I feel so alone. I’m surrounded by people, but no one can see me. I know it’s not the same but it’s just bringing up a lot of repressed memories of my pod.”

“I’m sorry I left you.” J’onn said. “From now on we stick together.”

“Thank you.” Kara said gratefully before asking, her voice betraying her fear. “J’onn, what if we’re wrong? What if this isn’t some sort of time or phase shift? What if we’re dead? What if we’re ghosts?” 

“Do you think you’re dead?” J’onn questioned.

“No, but I’m fairly sure Sam Wheat didn’t either.”

“Sam who?” J’onn asked.

“Sam Wheat, the ghost in Ghost.” Kara explained.

“What?” J’onn asked concerned Kara was losing her mind.

“Seriously? How can you not have seen Ghost?” Kara asked in disbelief. 

-00-

“Alex.” Lucy said hammering on the door. Not getting any response she kicked the door open and saw Alex sprawled on the couch. Fearing the worse she hurried to Alex’s side and breathed a sigh of relief when she heard Alex snore. 

After Winn’s warning she didn’t want to leave Alex alone so she removed the half empty bottle from Alex’s arms, placed a blanket on the sleeping woman then sat down opposite her. She then had a change of heart and went to the kitchen and opened the freezer. A moment later she returned to the couch with a jug of icy water which she poured over Alex.

“What the f-” Alex started as she woke to freezing water being poured over her.

“Easy Alex.” Lucy said.

“What the hell is happening?” Alex asked sitting up.

“We need to get you sober.” Lucy said.

“Major Lane?” Alex asked her voice slurring.

“Drink this.” Lucy said handing Alex a glass of water. “I’ll be back in a moment.”

Confused, drunk and disorientated Alex sat shivering obediently drinking the water Lucy had given her. When Lucy returned she handed Alex a plate of food.

“Am I dreaming?” Alex asked completely confused by what was happening.

“No.”

“So Kara really is gone?” She said sadly.

“We don’t know that.” Lucy said. “But we will figure it out together. But for that to happen we need to sober you up. Eat.” 

“Eat?” Alex asked confused.

“Carbs, fat or protein works well. All I could find here was Mac Cheese, which isn’t actually that bad on the carbs, fat and protein front, if you are after high values.” Lucy explained. “Eat up. Make sure you drink those as well.” She added pointing to a glass of water and a mug of coffee.

“Yes Ma’am.” Alex said.

“When you’re done it is cold shower time, then more coffee.” Lucy said. The instructions causing Alex to laugh. 

“What?” Lucy asked.

“I always assumed you were so straight laced. Who’d have thought you’d know the tricks of the drunk trade.” Alex slurred as she forced herself to eat.

“Growing up Lois used to stumble home drunk, alot. It was safer for everyone if my dad never found out so I did what I could to sober her up.” Lucy explained. 

“I so needed you in college.” Alex said as she drunk more coffee.


	3. Chapter 3

“Hey Alex.” Winn said looking excited as Alex entered the lab. “I’ve done it.”

“Done what?” Alex asked trying to ignore her migraine.

“The ultimate 3D jigsaw.”

“What?” Alex asked.

“I rebuilt the device that zapped Kara and the Director.” 

“You have? I thought it was fried beyond salvation.” Alex asked walking past Winn towards the device.

“Fired yes, beyond salvation, probably not. It shouldn’t kill anyone. I’m pretty confident it won’t kill whoever is using it, but I am so far beyond tired right now, who knows.” He warned as Alex looked at the device.

“If it makes you feel better I’m probably too drunk to make a good judgement call anyway.” Alex confessed as she picked up the device and fired it at a chair and the chair disappeared from view. 

“Which part of not safe did you ignore?” Winn asked covering his face and crouching down.

“The part where Kara and J’onn are lost.” Alex said. “Let’s set up full spectrum monitoring equipment and figure out what this actually does.” 

-00-

“You okay?” J’onn asked as he sat on the chair that Alex had unwittingly sent to them a couple of hours earlier. 

“I guess.” Kara said as her eyes remained glued to the uneaten doughnut that sat on a workbench. “I really wish they’d zap that across.” 

“Alex is close to figuring this out.” J’onn said. “We’ll be back soon.” 

“You know on tv when the character gets really hungry and they start picturing the people around them as hamburgers and pizzas?” Kara asked.

“No.” J’onn replied honestly. 

“Well they do.” Kara said. “Do you think it really happens, I mean in real life? I mean it has to be based on something right?” 

“Do I look like a pizza to you?” J’onn asked.

“Not yet.” 

“Well let me know when I do. In the mean time try to get some rest.” J’onn said, but seeing Kara continue to fidget he asked. “Something else on your mind?”

“Alex.” 

“What about her?”

“She has no one.” Kara said. “I’ve failed her.” 

“What are you talking about?” 

“Growing up on Earth we were always told it was Alex’s job to protect me, to look after me. And I just accepted it. But I’m the one with powers. I’m meant to look after Kal and yet I don’t even look after Alex. She has sacrificed so much for me.”

“That was her choice.” J’onn said.

“Not really. She never asked for me to show up on her doorstep.” Kara said sadly.

“We both know Alex would never change having you in her life.” J’onn replied.

“She should. I keep throwing it all back at her. The Black Mercy, Red Kryptonite and now.”

“This isn’t your fault.” J’onn said.

“Not now now, before, when Kal was here, I told her I was going to leave.” 

“She told me.” J’onn said.

“I threw everything she had done back in her face.”

“You thought it would be better for Alex.” J’onn said.

“I said it was to protect her and free her and some of it was. But I know and she knows a big part of me viewed it as a way for me to fit in somewhere.” 

“Kara, you’re an alien who grew up on another planet. There will always be part of you that feels like it doesn’t belong. Living with your cousin won’t change that.” J’onn said.

“I know that, now. But sometimes it is is easy to forget and have hope.” Kara sighed before sadly adding. “She was so upset, I didn’t understand at the time. I was so confused that she was upset and so I didn’t listen when she said she needed me to look after her. She is always so strong, she always does what has to be done, she makes the hard decisions, she puts me first. She has always had my back. But she doesn’t have anyone.”

“She has you.” J’onn said. 

“Some comfort that must be when I keep trying to leave.” 

“Your sister is stubborn, she doesn’t find it easy to let people in and she really hasn’t learned how to ask for help.” J’onn said. 

“She’s my sister she shouldn’t need to ask. I should just be there when she needs it, like she is with me.” 

“Kara, there is nothing you can do right now.”

“I know that, that’s not what is bothering me. What is bothering me is how many other times has Alex hit the bottom, felt totally alone and had no one. How many times have I let her down?”

“You can’t change the past.” J’onn said. “You can change the future.” 

 

-00-

“Any luck?” Lucy asked as she entered Alex’s, now spartan, lab several hours later.

“Just a minute.” Alex said as she fired the device at another desk.

“Keep this up and none of us will get paid this month.” Lucy said. 

“If this works you get the desk back.” Alex said picking up a second device and firing at the same spot moments before the desk reappeared. 

“You got it back. Where has it been? And what did you just use?” Lucy asked.

“I have no idea where it has been. Everything that has been hit had a tracker on. But when it is not here it does not register anywhere. It is like it doesn’t exist. Or at least not exist in our reality. However, each time something disappeared we could track the beam from the device to the object and we saw the object was enveloped by a phase shifted wave packet.” 

“Okay.” Lucy said only half following what Alex was saying.

“So I built a second device identical to the one Winn reconstructed apart from a phase shift.” 

“So you think they are in an alternate dimension or phase shifted universe?” Lucy asked.

“I really have no idea.” Alex said as Winn approached the desk and prodded it.

“Seems real enough now.” He commented. “Wait does this mean they could I don’t know be cloaked or something and they could be in this room watching us?” Winn asked.

“Can’t rule it out. But then again even if they are physically located in this room we could be as invisible to them as they are to us.” Alex said.

“So plan?” Lucy asked.

“Plan A we hope they can see and hear us. We tell them where and when to stand and then fire this at them. Plan B we go back to where they disappeared. Plan C you shoot me with this and then you shoot the same area six hours later so I have enough time to find them.” 

“C isn’t happening.” Lucy said. Alex was about to argue when instead she turned to Winn and asked.

“Can I have your phone?”

“Um, sure.” He said handing it to her. As soon as she had it she placed it on the chair and fired the device at it.

“That was new.” Winn protested.

“As much as I like the zero tolerance to cell phones and spies was there a point to that?” Lucy asked.

“Yeah, so we can talk to them.”

“I know this is stressful, but if they could use cell phones to talk to us wouldn’t they have done that already?” Winn asked.

“Maybe not.” Alex said as she paced the lab.

“Alex, you are starting to act crazy.” Lucy said gently. 

“Just give me a few minutes.” Alex said.

“For what?” Lucy asked.

“If they are there or here but can’t contact us. They could use the phone to record a message.” Alex explained before looking at her watch. “Okay that should be enough.”

“Enough what?” Winn asked as Alex aimed the device at the now blank space and fired again.

When the phone reappeared she walked over to it and picked it up. As she entered the pin Winn asked.

“How do you know my pin?” 

“You’re a geek, it wasn’t hard to guess.” Alex said before excitedly exclaiming. “There’s a new video.”

“Alex, we’re okay.” J’onn said. “We can see and hear you, but we can’t interact with you. We are in the lab at the moment. Tell us where to stand and try to bring us back. We understand the risks but we need to get back now.” 

“Let’s try A.” Lucy said worried that Kara was injured.

“Kara? J’onn?” Alex called. “If you can hear me you know the plan. Stand on the cross if you can.” She said dropping to the ground and marking a cross on the floor before stepping back. She then looked at Winn and Lucy and asked.

“Ready?” 

“Let’s bring them back.” Lucy smiled reassuringly as Alex aimed the device once more.

“Wait, no one wants Kara back more than I do. Well apart from maybe you, well definitely you.” Winn said to Alex before remembering J’onn was listening and turned to face an empty part of the lab and said. “Not that I don’t want you back Director, I mean I want both of you back, but Kara and I we have history so -”

“Winn!” Alex snapped.

“Sorry, right.” He said turning back. “It’s just that how do we know it is safe for organic material to come back. We still don’t know exactly where they are or how they got there.” 

“They know the dangers.” Lucy said. “Sounds like they’ve been listening to us. If they are happy with the risk they’ll stand there.” She said pointing to the cross that Alex had drawn. “If they’re not we won’t bring them back with this attempt, but we can send the phone back and come up with a different plan. As acting director it is my call. I say we try or at least give them the choice.” 

“Here goes nothing.” Alex said as she fired the device one more time.

As they re-emerged in the lab Kara stumbled towards Alex and hugged her so tightly Alex thought her ribs would crack.

“I’m okay.” Kara assured her. “Thank you for everything.” She added before collapsing.

“Kara!” Alex cried as she caught her sister.

“I’m okay.” Kara said shaking off the dizziness. “Just a little weak.”

“She needs food.” J’onn said as he helped Kara stand.


	4. Chapter 4

An hour later Vasquez entered the infirmary carrying some bags with a familiar and welcome smell.

“I have the next order in. As requested potstickers, lots of them” She explained looking at Kara’s bed which was covered in empty takeout boxes.

“Thanks! Just put them down here.” Kara said chewing on pizza.

“Yes ma’am. You want me to take the empty boxes away?”

“It’s fine, I’ll do that later.” Kara smiled.

“Perhaps you should slow down.” Alex suggested concerned with how fast Kara was going through the food.

“I’m good.” Kara said munching away.

“You won’t be if you keep gorging.” Alex pointed out.

“I haven’t eaten for over two days.” Kara said. “I need the energy.” 

“If you throw it all up you won’t gain anything.” Alex reminded her.

“Alex, I promise I’m okay.” Kara said taking another bite as Vasquez left the sisters alone.

Shaking her head Alex picked up a slice of pizza and carefully chewed. 

“What?” Alex asked noticing Kara was looking at her strangely.

In response Kara got up and walked over to Alex before hugging her. 

“What’s wrong?” Alex asked as she returned the hug.

“We saw.” Kara said when she finally released her sister.

“We saw what?” Alex asked confused. 

“When we were shifted we could see everything that was happening here.”

“I know, that’s how we managed to communicate with you.” Alex reminded her. 

“No, I mean we saw.” Kara said.

“Saw what?”Alex asked still confused.

“We saw you at my apartment.” Kara explained.

“Oh. I’ll fix the wall.” Alex said looking sheepish.

“Wall? What wall?” Kara asked confused.

“You just said you saw.”

“We did, but we left after Eliza threatened to come down. What happened to my wall?”

“It has more ventilation in it.” Alex said avoiding eye contact. “What were you talking about?”

“You were so broken.” Kara said.

“You’re my sister. I thought you were dead. Of course I was upset.” Alex said. 

“I’m sorry I keep letting you down.” Kara said. “You are such an amazing sister, you deserve more.” 

“What are you talking about?” Alex asked, not sure if the lack of sense in the conversation was caused by her lingering intoxication or Kara had suffered some sort of brain injury.

“I keep letting you down. From now on I promise you I am going to be a better sister.” 

“Kara!” Eliza exclaimed as she rushed into the room they were in, interrupting the conversation.

“Eliza?” She said hugging her foster mother. “What are you doing here?” 

“I saw what happened on the news. Then Alex refused to answer my calls. I was so worried.” Eliza said as she held onto Kara as Alex attempted to silently leave the room. “Not so fast Alexandra.” Eliza called.

Slowly Alex turned to face Eliza and Kara but avoided eye contact with her mother.

“Come here.” Eliza said holding out an arm to Alex who cautiously approached the pair and allowed her mother to pull her into the hug. As Alex relaxed into the embrace Eliza said. “We’ll discuss it later.” 

-00-

“Alex. Where’s your sister?” J’onn asked when he walked past her lab and saw her in it.

“With mom.”

“Why aren’t you there?”

“Didn’t want to have a lecture.” 

“You think that is why your mother came down here?” J’onn asked confused.

“I’m meant to protect Kara. For thirteen years I have had that drummed into me but she was blasted right in front of me. My job, given to me by my parents, was to keep Kara safe and I think it is fair to say that I failed spectacularly. So yes I think I am about to get hauled over the coals.” 

“I never meant for you to feel like that.” Eliza said from the doorway causing Alex to spin round.

“I’ll leave you two alone.” J’onn said walking past Alex then Eliza. As he went past Eliza he gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze before disappearing. 

“When we were told that your father had been killed you told me we had to be strong for Kara.” Eliza said as she walked towards Alex. “You bottled everything up and refused to talk about how you were feeling with anyone. You locked away your feelings and showed your strength. I was so consumed with my own sadness that I didn’t force the issue. I let you take the strain because you have always been the strong one. But I was wrong, I was being unfair, you were a child and yet I forced you to act like an adult. You may be the strongest of all of us, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t need help. You are so good at being the glue that binds us, it is easy for me to forget that you feel exactly the same things as the rest of us. More importantly I think you forget sometimes. I failed you Alex, I put so much on your shoulders I drove you away, I drove you to drink and you nearly threw your academic life away. I have tried to learn from my mistakes and all I wanted was to be there for you. For you to know I was there for you and I will always be there for you.” With that she reached out to Alex who stepped forward and hugged her mother.

-00-

“So any idea what happened to us?” Kara asked as J’onn sat down next to her in the infirmary.

“No. We’re not even sure if it was a deliberate act by CADMUS or accidental. It is possible they never knew that the device wouldn’t actually kill us. As far as we have been able to ascertain the device fired a concentrated energy beam which appears to generate a warped phase envelope in both time and space. Whatever is in that envelope seems to end up where we were. However, they could have thought the concentrated energy was sufficient to obliterate anything in it’s way.” 

“Or it could have been seen as the ultimate punishment sending us somewhere where we could see everything but not interact and be guaranteed to die of dehydration within a few days anyway.” Kara said. 

“Cruel and unusual, but that seems to be the CADMUS motto.” J’onn said. “We’ll keep investigating, but in the mean time you need to be more careful. You are a target.” 

“So are you.” Kara said. “And Alex needs both of us.” 

“Sorry to interrupt, but I just wanted to say goodbye.” Lucy said entering the room.

“You’re leaving?” Kara asked disappointed.

“Yes, my new orders are through and I’m needed else where.”

“Thank you for everything.” J’onn said shaking Lucy’s hand. “I’ll let you two say goodbye.” He added before leaving.

“Thank you.” Kara said hopping off her bed. 

“I didn’t really do anything. It was Alex and Winn who got you back.” Lucy shrugged.

“I meant what you did for Alex, being there for her. Thank you.” Kara explained as she hugged the Major.

“Of course.” Lucy smiled. 

“I can’t believe you have to go.” Kara said sadly as she pulled away.

“I’ll be back.” 

“You promise?”

“I promise Kara.”

“Good, because we should so do sisters’ night when you are.” 

“Shouldn’t you run that one by Alex?” Lucy asked not wanting upset anyone.

“You freed her from the CADMUS convoy, you stood up to your father for J’onn and you have been there for both of us when no one else was. You’re kind of honorary family.” Kara said. 

“Thank you.” Lucy said touched by Kara’s words.

-00-

“What’s the emergency?” J’onn asked as he flew through Kara’s apartment window the following evening.

“Emergency?” Alex asked confused before turning to Kara. 

“The emergency is J’onn is in charge of an organisation that is not only meant to capture and detain dangerous aliens, but also help integrate the friendly aliens.” Kara said.

“So?” Alex asked.

“So how can he do that when he is so culturally out of touch?” 

“What?” Alex questioned, confused as to where Kara was going.

“He has never seen Ghost.” Kara said.

“Seriously?” Alex asked looking at J’onn.

“Ghost?” J’onn asked.

“The film I told you about when we were wherever and whatever we were.” Kara said.

“You sent me an emergency message so I would come and watch a film?” J’onn asked as he changed back into his Hank form.

“Yes.” Kara nodded.

“Couldn’t you have just invited me over to watch a movie?” J’onn asked.

“Um, no. You would have said no.” Kara pointed out. 

“So you lied?” J’onn asked folding his arms across his chest.

“No. Your cultural education, or lack of, is an emergency.” Kara argued.

“I have lived on this planet a lot longer than you.” J’onn reminded her.

“And yet you still haven’t seen Ghost.” Kara countered.

“Watching TV is not a way to develop a cultural understanding.” 

“Yeah it is.” Kara said. 

“Just be grateful she isn’t making you watch Jerry Springer.” Alex said.

“Do you even know who Jerry Springer is?” Kara asked J’onn.

“Of course.” He said surprising both sisters.

“You watch Jerry Springer?” Kara pressed.

“Of course.” J’onn said sitting down and making himself comfortable.

“What do you mean ‘of course’?” Kara asked.

“He is an undercover DEO agent who tried to root out the less intelligent aliens that walk this planet. His TV show was a means to an end.”

“Are you serious?” Kara asked wide-eyed.

“Of course I’m not serious.” J’onn said shaking his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it.


End file.
